Page 18 of Lies Beneath Secrets (Skeleton Crew #1)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Lauren

Scribbling my name on the visitors list, I glance around the cafeteria, hoping to see my mom. “She hasn’t been coming this week. I think it would be great if you could talk her into a walk,” Bunny, one of the nurses, tells me at the front desk.

“It’s very nice out still for this time of year.” It’s hit or miss in Wisconsin when it comes to fall. One day, it will feel like a beautiful spring or even summer day; the next, you’re smacked with something that resembles winter. And don’t even get me started on the wind. Bunny smiles and goes back to typing on the computer.

I walk down the halls until I come to room 505. Moyra Blakely. She’s sitting on her bed with an untouched tray of food next to her. “Hi, Mom,” I say before I come all the way into her room. She hasn’t shown any signs leading me to believe she doesn’t remember me, but her lack of facial expressions and body language always make me proceed with caution. “It’s a beautiful day today.” I walk around her bed. She’s looking out the window but when I come into her line of sight, her eyes drift my way. “Hey,” I whisper. “Want to get up and take a walk?” While, yes, she can walk, I normally have her in a wheelchair for walks. Having to carry her back into the assisted living facility isn’t high on my list of things I want to do.

She responds to me bringing her wheelchair over by pulling away her covers and moving to get off the bed. Apparently, she’s eager to go outside.

“That’s weird,” I say, more to myself than anything. “Where’s the picture you had here?” I point to the dresser. There are normally three pictures on there; now there are only two. “Strange. I’ll have to ask the nurse if it broke or something.” It wouldn’t be too far-fetched if it had fallen on the floor. I doubt anyone would steal a picture of the three of us. What would they get out of that?

The sun is high and bright, and there isn’t a cloud in sight today. “See, beautiful day for a walk, Mom.” I make sure to put a blanket over her even with the warm day. She’s so skinny, I’m sure she gets cold very easily. “I saw Leah.” I start, telling her about things that have been going on since I last visited. I probably should come more than I do, but these visits leave me so empty and hopeless that all I want to do when I get home is burn. I should have scheduled an appointment with Dr. Brooks, but I’ve been putting it off. I’ve been writing about my dreams though. She’d be happy to hear that.

“Let’s sit here for a little bit,” I say to her and park her wheelchair next to a bench that’s placed along the river that runs through town. There are some ducks out here and for a moment, I think that Gabby would probably enjoy seeing them. “I got a new neighbor,” I find myself telling my mother. “His name is Conner. He has a daughter named Gabby. I helped them go school shopping a little while ago.” I look over at her. She’s still young but seems to have aged twenty years in the last two. Her long hair, once the same color as mine, has been taken over by silver with barely any dark brown left in its wake. Her face droops slightly from the stroke, and those laugh lines that used to grace the corners of her mouth have almost disappeared because of it. “Are you still in there?” I reach out and touch her hand. “Mom? It’s LuLu.” Her gaze slowly drags from the ducks over to me. “Hey,” I say through the tears I can’t help but let fall. “I miss you, Mom.”

Just as I said before, like being trapped in a box.